How many of you have named DC's after family...and was it your idea or said family's?

[Fishpants]

My number 1 boy's choice is my great-grandfather's middle name, my grandmother (who I am very close to) adores it as does my aunt and generally the rest of my family. No one has used it yet so if I have a boy, I probably will - but the fact that everyone LOVES LOVES LOVES it so much has started to kind of grate on me a bit. I would definitely use it as a MN if not a first name.

How many of you have DC's named after someone in the family? I am imagining lots. And was it your idea or the family's idea? Did you feel pressured about it at all? I am fully aware and think it's wonderful that most people probably don't feel pressured whatsoever, but I feel just a teensy tiny bit of it when that name comes up in conversation.

Just curious

[RefereezaWanka]

Both my children have two middle names.

DS - names of his two grandfathers, DD - names of her two grandmothers.

Why not? I think it is far more meaningful to use family middle names than the dull 'May' / 'Rose' / 'Grace' type 'filler' names

[libbyssister]

DS1 shares his name with my dad but we use a shortening of it day-to-day. His middle name is from 2 of his great-grandfathers.

DS2 shares his middle name with my father-in-law

DS3 shares his middle name with a much-loved uncle.

All our choice, no pressure from family. My dad cried tears of pride when we named DS1, a memory which I always hold dear.

[QueenVictoria42]

ok I think I understand better. You have to do what you feel is right - regardless of familial pressure. Forget for a minute it's a name with family connections - you say it is your No. 1 pick. Would you use it regardless of the sentimental connections? Is there even another name in the running you would prefer to use? I think that is what it boils down to. If you really love this name regardless then go and use it and then bask in your family's coincidental adoration, but if there is another name out there, use that, and demote this name to a middle name - it is still honouring the family and they should still be happy. Of course there's no pleasing some people, but a middle name is better than no nod at all!

[cory]

Dd's first name is my middle name (and the name I had always wished was my first name); also found in earlier generations. Ds' name is the same as an uncle-by-marriage. We also have a family tradition whereby a child gets two middle names, one from each side of the family. No pressure as to first names, but they probably expected the middle name tradition to be followed.

[SlinkingOutsideInSocks]

It seems overtly contrary to not even use it as a middle name. It's in the top 50, so not that popular, and all the family love it. But you're considering not using it for those reasons?! Silly.

Just use it as a middle name, and try to find a more unusual name as a first name, if unusual-ness is so much more of a priority than a well-liked name which honours a family member. Seems needlessly contrary and topsy-turvy to me, but whaddoo I know. [hgrin]

DS - first name: DH's uncle, middle name: my uncle
DD - first name: my Mum, middle name: DH's Mum

I am named after both my grandmothers, hence carrying on that tradition. 100% our choice - no expectation from family at all, but delight from all quarters on learning their names. Win-win.

Oh, and we didn't discuss names with a single soul until they were born and announced - so no chance of anyone putting us off because they disliked them, or, in your case, because they loved them...!?

[starfishmummy]

We didn't discuss potential names with anyone. Ds's middle name is after family - our choice. Thought we had picked a "neutral" name for his first name then we found it is the name of one of dh's relatives. Dh didn't know because the relative uses his middle name!

[TaffyandTeenyTaffy]

My son has the same middle name as his Dad, both his grandfathers, two uncles and a cousin....we knew it was DHs and our parents but at the time did not realise the uncles and cousin - each from different sides of the family shared the name too.

We had decided on his middle name before we had a first name. His first name is also my maiden name - so he actually shares two names with each of his grandfathers!

There was no pressure from either side but everybody loves his name, which does really suit him.

[LittlePushka]

Both boys have two middle names, one of which is their (same!) Dad's name. Meant a huge amount to DH...how could I refuse??!!

[RantyMcRantpants]

All three of mine have three names each and they are all family names, fathers, grandfathers, uncles, great grandfathers, great uncles, etc.

We had no pressure from anyone to name them after family but we did not discuss names with anyone and the first anyone knew was when they were introduced to the new baby.

[FearfulYank]

DS's middle name is Robert after my Dad. My idea. :) I want to work Frederick in somewhere with the next one after my late, beloved Grandpa.

DH's grandmother's name was Eleanora and one of my SILs didn't use it for her daughter because she knew I liked it, so now I have to use it.

[seeker]

The eldest boy in my dp's family hqd been called a particular name since the Dawn of time, but my Fil had had a falling out with his fqth when dp was born so he was called something else. He always regretted it, and seeing his very ell concealed disappointment every time a grandson arrived and the name wasn't used was so sad. Our ds was a bit of a surprise- he thought there weren't going to be any more grandsons and his pleasure when we 'laid the ghost" so to speak by using the name was fabulous! It helped that it's a lovely name- the best boy's name ever, in my opinion,helped. Not sure what we would have done if it had been something ghastly!

[PessimisticMissPiggy]

My DN is named after great GP. My DD is named so because it was my DD favourite name and my DF wouldn't let her use it.

[TheOldestCat]

I agree that it helps if you love the family name you're considering!

DD is named after my grandmother and DH's sister, both passed away beafore she was born (My SIL six weeks before DD arrived). both fabulous people and, luckily, fantastic names. No family pressure.

DS has two middle names - one for each uncle. Family seemed happy, once they got over the shock of dS' odd first name

[WynkenBlynkenandNod]

DS is named after mine and DH's great grandfathers. MIL was actually helpful. DH had dismissed the name when ai suggested it, but when she did and pointed out it was his great Grandfather's name, he decided he liked it. Middle name is after DH's Dad who nearly died during triple bypass when I was pregnant.

DD was all set to be Mia, after my Grandmother. Everyone on both sides of the family loved it. Then one day I turned on the TV and someone said about the latest pop sensation from Sweden, Mia and that put me right off as could see it turning into a Kylie type name.

So we came up with something else that no one else was that keen on but I didn't really take that into account as we had such a nightmare finding names we agreed on I couldn't deal with trying to please the whole family. Only found out a few weeks ago when doing family tree (DD is 12 now ) that the name we chose was the mother of my Great Grandfather who DS is named after. Her husband also had the same name DS has so have called my children after my great great grandparents without knowing.

Call your child what you want to. There might be a few gripes but ignore it, a bit down the Line everyone will be used to it and it won't be an issue.

[spottyock]

Our DC's have family middle names- DD from my side, DS from H's side. My H has the same name as his dad and his mum wanted our DS to have the same name. If it was a longer tradition I would've gone along with it. But the fact that she 'much prefers boys' (my DD being 1yo at the time), I didn't want to go bow to her thinking!

[pinkgirlythoughts]

I kind of know what you mean. DS has a first name that, coincidentally, is a family in both of our families- his father, both grandfathers, three great-grandfathers, and at least two great-great-grandfathers all share the same name. Even before we met each other, DP and I had both always thought that our first son would have this name.

DP's family are all absolutely ecstatic that we used the name (it's much more of a 'tradition' in their family than it is in mine), and love telling people that we've carried on their tradition. Even though I know it's stupid, the fact that everybody loves it so much does grate a bit sometimes, and I always feel the need to add something along the lines of "yes, I'm so glad that we used MY dad's name," to remind people that he's named after my relatives too!

[Montsti]

Is it ok then to call my DD (if it's a girl - find out in 3.5 weeks..) my sister's first name? I have heard of lts of people naming their children (first names) after DH or grandparents or deceased family members but few after themselves or their future aunts...I absolutely love my sister's name and it will go brilliantly with DS's name and to date (touch wood) none of my immediate family or friends have given their children this name...

[gypsycat]

Our son will be Jack Peter after my grandfather (Jack) and my husbands father (Peter). However if he was a girl we would have been making up the names as all the women in our families have horrible names.

[JiltedJohnsGhoulie]

Fish I think you post is a perfect example of why you never discuss names in RL [hsmile].

Yes we named DS after family members, both sides and it was our idea. Never told anyone in RL what we had in mind, well apart from each other [hgrin]

[nooka]

My dd is named after two of her great-grandmothers. Neither dh's dad nor my mother was pleased, in fact strangely my mother was quite upset and tried to tell me that I should have called dd after her MIL (who I didn't even like very much!) However we didn't do it to please anyone except for ourselves so that was OK.

I wouldn't ever call a child after a living relative, personally I think that it's confusing and takes away from the individuality of both people. However other people think it's great, and so long as the person whose name is being used is happy about it then that's fine (I wouldn't like it all if one of my siblings used my name except as a middle name).

[Montsti]

Thanks Nooka. I expect my friends to have the same opinion as you and that's what I was worried about. Funnily enough I know loads of little boys named after their fathers/grandfathers (living) but it doesn't seem to be that common at all with female family members (living).

For what it's worth my sister doesn't mind nor my mum (which to be honest woud be the problematic ones..) and we do live on a different continent to my sister and only see her once a year...I would also use a nickname regularly for DD and my sister has always only been called by her full name. This would help with any confusion and create separate identities..

Anyway I'll probably have another boy ad then I'll be asking for name suggestions from you all as we don't have any we love that we can use!